Platform carton



P 1964 H. l. RoccAFoRTE 3,147,906

PLATFORM CARTON Filed July 6, 1962 2 Sheet-Sheet 1 Mimi.

INVENTOR. #A/P/Py Z Focal/0W5 14770/P/VEY5' H. l. ROCCAFORTE PLATFORM CARTON Sept. 8, 1964 Filed July 6, 196

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. //4/?A)/ Z Roam/0pm United States Patent 3,147,906 PLATFORMCARTON Harry I. Roccaforte, Chicago, Ill., assignor to Weyerhaeuser Company, Tacoma, Wash, a corporation of Washington Filed July 6, 1962, Ser. No. 208,031 9 Claims. (Cl. 229-17) The present invention relates to a carton having an internal platform which is an integral part of the carton blank, and a bottom closure member or base having a portion formed from the platform section; and specifically relates to a dispenser carton having an internal article supporting platform and a bottom closure member which form integral parts of the carton blank and in which an element of the bottom closure member is formed from the platform section.

A carton having a side aperture for the removal of the bottom article in a stack of contained articles requires a platform or false bottom which will hold the article at the level of the aperture. This platform may be placed on and adhered to one of the inner faces of the carton. However, these operations are expensive and difficult. It is desirable, therefore, to provide a platform which is an integral part of the carton blank and which may be placed within the carton without the expense and difficulty of individual placement and adherence of each platform.

It is also desirable toform a dispensing carton having a base that does not rock. The typical closure, having a single outer cover member, tends to bulge and form a curved base which allows the carton to rock. A closure or base having a number of interlocking elements will not have this tendency to bulge, and, therefore, will usually not rock.

It is, therefore, an object of this invention to provide a carton having both an integral platform which may be placed and held within the carton without the use of adhesive, and a bottom closure member having a number of interlocking elements; and to provide a carton blank therefor.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a carto'n having an internal platform articulated to the lower edge of the carton by a support member, and 'to provide a bottom closure member formed by a number of interlocking elements in which one of the elements is formed from the support member; and to provide a carton blank therefor.

These and other objects will become readily apparent upon a reading of the following specification in conjunction with the attached drawings.

FIGURE 1 is a top plan view of the blank of the preferred form of carton.

FIGURES 25 are isometric views showing the carton in various stages of formation. In FIGURE 3, portions of the carton are cut away to show details of interior construction.

FIGURE 6 is a front isometric view of the dispensing carton.

The carton blank shown in FIGURE 1 is divided by the longitudinal score lines 12, 14, 1'6, and 18 into a side panel 20, a front panel 22, a side panel 24, a rear panel 26, and a glue flap 28. The inner face of the side panel 20 is adhered to the glue flap 28 along glue line 30 at the carton manufacturing site, forming the lay-flat carton that is transported to the carton formation site.

-At the carton formation site, the layflat carton V is squared and assembled as shown in FIGURES 16. The carton, which is filled with a stack of articles, allows the bottom article in the stack to be removed through an aperture 32 in the front panel 22 of the carton. The exact configuration of the aperture 32 will depend on the article ice being dispensed. However, the aperture will normally have an enlarged section, such as the central round section 34, which will allow the contained article to be grasped, and will have side extensions, such as side extensions 36, which will allow the article to be removed from the carton. The aperture 32 illustrated will allow fiat articles to be removed from the carton through the front panel 22.

The bottom article will be supported in alignment with the aperture 32 by the platform 38 of the platform section 40. The platform 38 is held at the level of the aperture 32 by a pair of front support members 42 and a pair of side support members 44. These members are approximately equal in length to the distance between the lower edge of the aperture 32 and the lower edge of the carton, and extend down the front and sides of the carton and rest on the base of the carton, supporting the platform.

The front and side support members 42 and 44 are part of the platform section 40, and are joined to the platform 38 along their respective score lines 46 and 48. The front support members 42 also connect the platform section 40 to the lower edge of the front panel 22, transverse score line 50. This connection of the front support members 42 to the front panel 22 assures the easy and accurate placement of the platform 38 with respect to the aperture 32 when the platform section 40 is folded into the carton.

The platform section 40 is folded into the carton, shown in FIGURE 3, after the carton has been squared, shown in FIGURE 2. In this operation, the platform section 40 is folded upwardly with respect to the front panel 22 around score line 50; the side support members 44 are folded downwardly with respect to the platform 38 around the score lines 48, and the rear flap 52 is folded downwardly with respect to the platform 38 around the score line 54; the platform 38 is folded downwardly with respect to the front support members 42 around score lines 46; and the front support members 42 are folded upwardly and inwardly with respect to the front panel 22 around score line 50 until the support members 42 are contiguous with the inner face of front panel 22. .This segment of the folding operation is aided by the diagonal front edges 56 of the side support members 44 which allow the platform 38 to assume an acute angle with the front support members 42, enablingthe platform section 40 to be inserted into the carton.

The final stage of the platform insertion operation is the alignment of the platform .38 with the aperture 32. The platform 38 is pushed inwardly until it is aligned with the aperture 32. In the preferred construction, the platform 38 is also held in alignment with the aperture 32 by the frictional engagement of the side support members 44 and the rear flap 52 with the inner faces of the carton panels. The dimensioning of the platform 38 so that the width of the platform is approximately equal to the width of the front and rear panels 22 and 26, and the length of the platform is approximately equal to the width of the side panels 20 and 24.

The final platform placement operation may also be accomplishedby the forcing of the side support members 44 inwardly of the carton by the base elements during the folding and interlocking of the base elements. These elements are connected to the lower edges of the panels along score line 50, which forms the lower edge of the carton, and are bent around this score line until they are aligned with the lower edge of the carton and are interlocked to form the non-rockingbase of the carton.

The first step in the formation of the base is the inward rotation of the rear closure flap 57 around score line 50 until it is aligned with the lower edge of the carton, and is substantially normal to its attached rear panel 26. The rear closure flap 57 has a rectangular notch 58 which is formed by the outer edge 69 of the flap body 62 and the inner edges 64 of the flap end extensions 66. The centrally disposed notch 58 allows the elements of the base to be interlocked.

The side closure flaps 68, attached to the side panels 20 and 24, interlock with the rear closure flap 57 by overlaying the outer face of the rear flap adjacent the sides of the notch 58, end extensions 66, and overlaying the inner face of the rear closure flap adjacent the inner end of the notch 58, flap body 62. Each of the side flaps 63 has a rearwardly extending locking tab 76 which projects under the rear flap 57 to overlay the inner side of the rear flap. In the preferred construction the rear edge 72 of each flap 68 extends from the lower rear corners 74 and 76 of the carton to the rear corners 78 and 80 of the notch 58, and the tab 70 extends outwardly and rearwardly of the rear edge 72 at its juncture with the corners 73 and 80.

The front edge 82 of the side flap 68 will be aligned with the lower edge of the carton, and will usually be relieved by a diagonal cut 84 so that the outer front corner 86 of the flap will be adjacent the front closure flap 38 in the carton, and the side flaps 68 and the front flap 88 will form a single thickness of material at the front of the carton. Usually, the front edge 82 will be equal to the width of the front support member 42, and slightly longer than the width of the side extension 66. These dimensions are the result of the placement and use of the front closure flap 88 which is aligned with the notch 53 and is slightly narrower than the notch so that it may overlay the side flaps 68 and project under the rear flap- 57 adjacent the notch 58, and extend between the rear flap body 62 and the locking tabs 70.

The front closure flap 88 is formed in the platform section 40 and extends between the front support members 42. In the preferred construction, it is separated from the front support members 42 by a pair of slits 96 which define the front flap 88 in the platform section 40.

The platform 38 may have a notch, such as notch 92, formed in its front edge and aligned with the central aperture 34. This notch, which is usually of the same size and shape as one-half of the central aperture, allows the easy grasping of the bottom article in the carton.

While specific details of preferred embodiments have been set forth above, it will be apparent that many changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention. It will therefore be understood that what has been described herein is intended to be illustrative only, and is not intended to limit the scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A carton comprising side, front, and rear panels,

said front panel having an aperture therein above the lower edge of said front panel,

a platform in said carton, said platform being transverse the vertical axis of said carton and being adjacent the lower edge of said aperture,

support members hingedly connected to and extending between the lower edge of said front panel and the front edge of said platform, said support members being adjacent the sides of said front panel and said platform and being spaced from each other,

a rear closure flap extending from the lower edge of said rear panel, said flap having a notch in its utwardly extending edge in alignment with said space between said support members,

side closure flaps extending from said side panels, each said flap extending over said rear flap and having a rearwardly extending tab adjacent its outer edge aligned with said notch, said tab extending under said rear flap,

a front closure flap extending from the lower edge of said front panel, said front flap being aligned with said rear flap notch and extending over said side flaps and under said rear flap.

2. A carton comprising side, front, and rear panels,

the lower edge of said panels being substantially within the same plane and forming the lower edge of said carton,

said front panel having an aperture therein above the lower edge of said front panel,

a platform in said carton, said platform being transverse the vertical axis of said carton and being adjacent the lower edge of said aperture,

support members hingedly connected to and extending between the lower edge of said front panel and the front edge of said platform, said support members being adjacent the sides of said front panel and said platform and being spaced from each other,

a rear closure flap extending from the lower edge of said rear panel, said fiap having a notch in its outwardly extending edge in alignment with said space between said support members,

side closure flaps extending from said side panels, each said side flap extending over said rear flap and having a rearwardly extending tab adjacent its outer edge aligned with said notch, said tab extending under said rear flap,

a front closure flap extending from the lower edge of said front panel, said front flap being aligned with said rear flap notch and extending over said side flaps and under said rear flap.

3. A cartoon comprising side, front, and rear panels,

said front panel having an aperture therein above the lower edge of said front panel, said aperture having an enlargement therein,

a platform in said carton, said platform being transverse the vertical axis of said carton and adjacent the lower edge of said aperture,

the front edge of said platform having a relief portion therein in alignment with said enlargement in said front panel aperture,

support members hingedly connected to and extending between the lower edge of said front panel and the front edge of said platform, said support members being spaced from each other, each of said support members being adjacent one of the sides of said front panel and said platform and being between said side and said platform relief portion,

a rear closure flap extending from the lower edge of said rear panel, said flap having a notch in its outwardly extending edge in alingrnent with said space between said support members,

side closure flaps extending from said side panels, each said side flap extending over said rear flap and having a rearwardly extending tab adjacent its outer edge, said tab being aligned with said notch and extending under said rear flap,

a front closure flap extending from the lower edge of said front panel, said front flap being aligned with said rear flap notch and extending over said side flaps and under said rear flap.

4. A carton comprising side, front, and rear panels,

said front panel having an aperture therein above the lower edge of said front panel,

a platform in said carton, said platform being transverse the vertical axis of said carton and adjacent the lower edge of said aperture,

front support members hingedly connected to and extending between the lower edge of said front panel and the front edge of said platform, said support members being adjacent the sides of said front panel and said platform and being spaced from each other,

side support members extending downwardly from the side edges of said platform, said side support members having a front edge extending diagonally inwardly and downwardly of said carton whereby said E) platform may be easily inserted within said carton,

a rear closure flap extending from the lower edge of said rear panel, said flap having a notch in its outwardly extending edge in alignment with said space between said support members,

side closure flaps extending from said side panels, each said side flap extending over said rear flap and having a rearwardly extending tab adjacent its outer edge, said tab being aligned with. said notch and extending under said rear flap,

a front closure flap extending from the lower edge of said front panel, said front flap being aligned with said rear flap notch and extending over said side panel flaps and under saidrear'panel flap.

5. A carton blank comprising a:member having first, second, third, and fourth longitudinal score lines thereon defining a side panel, a front panel, a side panel, a rear panel, and a glue flap, and

a transverse score line thereon defining the lower edge of said panels,

said carton blank side panel edge, said third and said fourth longitudinal score lines defining the rear corners of the carton, and said first and second longitudinal score lines defining the front corners of the carton,

an aperture in said front panel spaced from said transverse score line,

a rear closure flap extending from the lower edge of said rear panel, the outwardly extending edge of said rear closure flap having a centrally disposed notch therein,

a side closure flap extending from the lower edge of each of said side panels, each of said side flaps having a tab adjacent the outer edge of said flap, each of said tabs extending toward said rear corners,

a front closure flap extending from the lower edge of said front panel, said front flap being no wider than the width of said rear flap notch and being alignable with said notch in the completed carton,

a platform section extending from the lower edge of said front flap, said platform section comprising a support member adjacent each side of said front panel locking member and a platform section joined to the outer edges of said support members, said platform section being approximately the same width as said front panel and approximately the same length as said side panels.

6. A carton blank comprising a member having first, second, third, and fourth longitudinal score lines thereon defining a side panel, a front panel, a side panel, a rear panel, and a glue flap, and

.a transverse score line thereon defining a lower edge of said panels,

said carton blank side panel edge, said third and said fourth longitudinal score lines defining the rear corners of the car-ton, and said first and second longitudinal score lines defining the front corners of the carton,

an aperture in said front panel spaced from said transverse score line,

a rear closure flap extending from the lower edge of said rear panel, the outwardly extending edge of said rear flap having a centrally disposed notch therein,

a side closure flap extending from the lower edge of each of said side panels, each of said side flaps having a tab adjacent the outer edge of said flap, each of said tabs extending toward said rear corners,

a front closure flap extending from the lower edge of said front panel, said front flap being no wider than the width of said rear flap notch and being alignable with said notch in the completed carton,

a platform section extending from the lower edge of said front flap, said platform section comprising a front support member adjacent each side of saidfront panel locking member,

a platform section joined to the outer edges of said front support members, said platform section being approximately the same width as said front panel and approximately the same length as said side panels, and

side support members connected to the side edges of said platform section, said side support members being equal in length to said front support members.

7. A carton comprising side, front, and rear panels,

said front panel having an aperture therein above the lower edge of saidfront panel,

a platform in said carton, said platform being transverse the vertical axis of said carton and being adjacent the lower edge of said aperture,

support members hingedly connected to and extending between the lower edge of one of said front or rear panels and the respective front or rear edge of said platform, said support members being adjacent the sides of said one panel and said platform and being spaced from each other,

a first closure flap extending from the lower edge of the other of said front or rear panels, said flap having a notch in its outwardly extending edge in alignment with said space between said support members,

side closure flaps extending from said side panels, each said side flap extending over said first closure flap and having a tab adjacent its outer edge aligned with said notch, said tab extending toward said other panel and under said first flap,

a second closure flap extending from the lower edge of said one panel, said second flap being aligned with said first flap notch and extending over said side flaps and under said first flap.

8. A carton comprising side, front, and rear panels,

' the lower edge of said panels being substantially within the same plane and forming the lower edge of said carton,

said front panel having an aperture therein above the lower edge of said front panel,

a platform in said carton, said platform being transversely vertical the axis of said carton and being adjacent the lower edge of said aperture,

support members hingedly connected to and extending between the lower edge of one of said front or rear panels and the respective front or rear edge of said platform, said support members being adjacent the sides of said one panel and said platform and being spaced from each other,

a first closure flap extending from the lower edge of the other of said front or rear panels, said flap having a notch in its outwardly extending edge in alignment with said space between said support members,

side closure flaps extending from said side panels, each said side flap extending over said first flap and having a tab adjacent its outer edge aligned with said notch, said tab extending toward said other panel and under said first flap,

a second closure flap extending from the lower edge of said one panel, said second flap being aligned with said first flap notch and extending over said side flaps and under said first flap.

9. A carton comprising side, front, and rear panels,

said front panel having an aperture therein above the lower edge of said front panel,

a platform in said carton, said platform being transverse the vertical axis of said carton and adjacent the lower edge of said aperture,

front support members hingedly connected to and extending between the lower edge of one of said front or rear panels and the respective front or rear edge of said platform, said support members being adjacent the sides of said one panel and said platform and being spaced from each other,

side support members extending downwardly from the side edges of said platform, said side support members having an edge adjacent said one panel extending diagonally inwardly and downwardly of said carton whereby said platform may be easily inserted within said carton,

a first closure flap extending from the lower edge of the other of said front or rear panels, said flap having a notch in its outwardly extending edge in alignment with said space between said support members,

side closure flaps extending from said side panels, each said side flap extending over said first closure flap and having a tab adjacent its outer edge, said tab being aligned with said notch and extending toward said other panel and under said first flap,

a second closure flap extending from the lower edge of said one panel, said second flap being aligned with said first flap notch and extending over said side panel flaps and under said first panel flap.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,915,341 Walker et al June 27, 1933 2,377,604 Belden June 5, 1945 2,596,087 Shoudy May 6, 1952 2,713,965 Acker July 26, 1955 2,904,238 Perry et al. Sept. 15, 1959 2,942,756 Collura et a1. June 28, 1960 FOREIGN PATENTS 15,160 Australia Nov. 14, 1933 788,455 Great Britain Jan. 28, 1956 

3. A CARTOON COMPRISING SIDE, FRONT, AND REAR PANELS, SAID FRONT PANEL HAVING AN APERTURE THEREIN ABOVE THE LOWER EDGE OF SAID FRONT PANEL, SAID APERTURE HAVING AN ENLARGEMENT THEREIN, A PLATFORM IN SAID CARTON, SAID PLATFORM BEING TRANSVERSE THE VERTICAL AXIS OF SAID CARTON AND ADJACENT THE LOWER EDGE OF SAID APERTURE, THE FRONT EDGE OF SAID PLATFORM HAVING A RELIEF PORTION THEREIN IN ALIGNMENT WITH SAID ENLARGEMENT IN SAID FRONT PANEL APERTURE, SUPPORT MEMBERS HINGEDLY CONNECTED TO AND EXTENDING BETWEEN THE LOWER EDGE OF SAID FRONT PANEL AND THE FRONT EDGE OF SAID PLATFORM, SAID SUPPORT MEMBERS BEING SPACED FROM EACH OTHER, EACH OF SAID SUPPORT MEMBERS BEING ADJACENT ONE OF THE SIDES OF SAID FRONT PANEL AND SAID PLATFORM AND BEING BETWEEN SAID SIDE AND SAID PLATFORM RELIEF PORTION, 